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LABORATORY FACILITIES
A large part of the Council's pathological and allied work in relation to the
diagnosis, prevention and control of infectious diseases is undertaken at the
Southern Group Laboratory at the Park Hospital, Lewisham. This service is
provided by the Public Health Laboratory Service on behalf of the Medical
Research Council.
Specimens sent to this laboratory include samples of milk and ice cream,
samples of food in suspected food poisoning cases, specimens of meat from the
abattoir and samples of swimming bath water. The following summary relates
to the work carried out by the laboratory on behalf of the Council during 1952:—
Food (which includes animal specimens from abattoirs, etc.) 50
Ice Cream (Methylene Blue Test) 83
Milk (Methylene blue and phosphatase, also turbidity) and milk
bottles (colony count), milk caps (culture) 322
Faeces 31
Sputum 1
Water—from swimming baths, children's paddling pools and boating
lakes 84
Throat swab 1
572
The examination of specimens of human origin (mainly swab examinations)
for the general practitioners in the Borough, and also specimens referred to the
hospital from local clinics, is undertaken by the Woolwich Group Hospital Management
Committee. The work was formerly carried out at the Woolwich Memorial
Hospital laboratory, but is now being undertaken at the Brook Hospital. General
practitioners referred 30 sputum specimens for examination and the hospital
carried out 159 other sputum examinations during the year. One hundred and
thirty-two nasal and throat swabs were referred to the hospital by general
practitioners for examination, and 21 other specimens. This laboratory also
carried out the examination of 50 faecal specimens.
Chas. F. Thorn & Son, Ltd. (T.U.) Woolwich, S.E.I8